Arteta may have pulled off Arsenal masterstroke in signing 23-year-old with ‘untapped potential’ – TBR View

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Arsenal may have had a mixed pre-season on the results front, but there have certainly been some positives.

For instance, a January signing whose arrival went somewhat under the radar is shaping up to be a quality player.

Earlier this year, Arsenal signed Jakub Kiwior from Italian outfit Spezia in a reported £20million deal.

The 23-year-old needed time to acclimatise to life at the Emirates Stadium, and had to find his feet.

At the end of the season, Goal.com had awarded him 5 out of 10 for his efforts since joining.

Admittedly, Charles Watts did stress that it was tough to really judge Kiwior at the time.

“He’s barely played in his natural position in the few appearances he has made,” wrote Watts.

“There have been encouraging signs, but there have also been errors.

“A proper judgement will have to wait until next season.”

Now, with pre-season in its latter stages, and Kiwior has come in leaps and bounds.

When the Poland international joined, it looked as though he was set to be back-up for Gabriel Magalhaes.

However, given how Mikel Arteta has been using him, it looks like he could play at left-back quite a lot next term.

Kiwior looks like a particularly reliable player defensively, more so than Oleksandr Zinchenko.

This would come in handy for games where Arsenal need solidity and control.

For instance, against title rivals or in the Champions League knockouts.

Kiwior is versatile, comfortable in possession, and can certainly pick out a pass.

‘He showed his potential’

Indeed, 90Min have deemed one of the best players for Arsenal in pre-season so far.

‘An under-the-radar January arrival, Kiwior featured for the Gunners down the stretch last season,’ they wrote.

‘Outside of his brain fade against Brighton, added some stability to a defence that was reeling from William Saliba’s absence.

‘He was deployed in a traditional left-back role to conclude 2022/23, but this summer we’ve seen the Polish international utilised an inverted full-back function amid Oleksandr Zinchenko’s absence.

‘While Kiwior wasn’t seen against United, he showed his potential in the role against FC Nurnberg before impressing against the MLS All-Stars.

‘He doesn’t come close to boasting Zinchenko’s subtlety or expertise at the position, but there’s certainly untapped potential for Arteta to work with.’

When it comes to signing players, the unexpected gems are just as crucial to a team’s success as the marquee signings.

In signing Kiwior, Arteta and Edu may have just pulled off a masterstroke that could go on to help the team achieve major success in 2023-24.